The 1986 Topps baseball card set is one of the most iconic and valuable sets from the late 1980s. Issued during baseball’s peak popularity era, the ’86 Topps set featured stars like Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, and Ozzie Smith on the verge of their prime. The set is also notable for being one of the first years that the popular Beckett Baseball Card Monthly price guide began assigning COMc scores to cards to help collectors understand relative scarcity and demand.
COMc stands for “Condition, Overproduction, Market Forces, and Card” and is a numerical score from 1-10 assigned by Beckett editors to help collectors understand the factors that influence a card’s long-term value. Condition is the most straightforward factor – a card kept in near-mint to mint condition will always be worth more than one that is worn or damaged. Overproduction relates to how many copies of a particular card were printed – the fewer in existence, the more valuable it will become over time. Market Forces account for how much demand there is from collectors for a specific player or card design. And the “Card” part of the equation looks at any special features of the card itself, like a rare serial number print or error variant.
When the 1986 Topps set was first released, most common cards received middle-of-the-road COMc scores in the 5-7 range. Standout young stars like Clemens and sluggers like Andre Dawson scored slightly higher at 7-8. Legendary players in the twilight of their careers like Pete Rose and Steve Carlton landed 8-9 scores. And true super-rare short-prints or one-of-one error variants could achieve a coveted 10 rating. Over the subsequent decades, many of these scores have proven quite accurate in forecasting the set’s movers and shakers.
For example, the base card of slugging outfielder Andre Dawson (card #48) received an original COMc score of 7.5. Dawson went on to have a Hall of Fame career and his popularity as a collector item grew steadily. Today, his ’86 Topps card in near-mint condition can fetch $15-30, showing the accuracy of that mid-8 score decades later. Meanwhile, journeyman catcher Rick Dempsey’s base card (card #172) scored a more modest 6. While still a key piece for Astros and Orioles fans, his card remains quite affordable at $1-3.
Rookie cards were always a key focus of any vintage set. The 1986 Topps issue featured future Hall of Famers like Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine all making their Topps debut. Clemens’ iconic first card (card #181) scored an impressive 8.5 based on his breakout 1985 season and star potential. Today, a near-mint Clemens rookie can sell for $150-300, showing that score’s foresight. Maddux (card #479) and Glavine (card #603), while also scoring well in the 7.5-8 range, have appreciated more moderately to $15-30 as their careers played out below the lofty heights of Clemens.
Short prints and errors were where the really high COMc scores lived in the ’86 set. The elusive “Photo Variations” subset, featuring alternate posed shots of some players, received 9.5-10 ratings. These scarce parallels can now sell for $500-1000 each. Even more coveted was the legendary error card featuring Don Mattingly on the New York Yankees instead of the Kansas City Royals (card #30E). With a perfect 10 rating, this true one-of-one anomaly is worth a minimum of $10,000 to today’s collectors.
While COMc scores aren’t infallible predictors and the collecting market is always in flux, the early guide numbers assigned to the 1986 Topps baseball set proved remarkably insightful. From mega-stars to short-prints, the cards that scored highest decades ago have often held their value best. Studying COMc can help modern collectors understand what to focus on from vintage releases and make informed long-term investments. The 1986 Topps set serves as a great case study of how well those initial ratings have stood the test of time.
